The Radiant One earns crack at $450k Telegraph Sprint
The Radiant One will have one more race, in the $80,000 Hazlett Stakes at Wingatui on December 26, before travelling to Wellington for $450k race.
Jamie Searle is a long-time Southland racing writer. For more of his work head to the Southland Thoroughbreds Facebook page.
Owner-trainers the Dennis brothers are planning a trip to Wellington to start The Radiant One in the $450,000 Telegraph at Trentham on January 13.
Her runs for third and fourth in the major sprint races, the Pegasus Stakes and Stewards Stakes, at the New Zealand Cup meeting in Christchurch in November convinced the brothers to aim her at the Group I Telegraph.
"She got squeezed up coming out of the gates [in the Stewards], then she changed stride and lost momentum just short of the line," Tony Dennis, of Woodlands, said.Â
Unraced since the Stewards on November 18,The Radiant One will have one more race, in the $80,000 Hazlett Stakes at Wingatui on December 26, before travelling to Wellington.Â
Henry Hubber and Lightning Jack are other Southland horses nominated for the Telegraph.
Meanwhile, Tina Comignaghi, who rode The Radiant One in Christchurch, will be back in the saddle at Wingatui.Â
The brothers are preparing The Hangover and The Blazing One for the Southland Racing Club's Christmas meeting at Ascot Park on Saturday week.
The Hangover has raced twice, for an easy maiden win at Gore in October and a second in a 17-horse rating 65 event at the NZ Cup meeting in November.
The Blazing One ran an unlucky 10th at Ascot Park on November 22 when trapped three wide mostly. Also, rain on the day when the track was soft wasn't to his liking.
Keep an eye out for the Dennis-trained The Cluster who is likely to wear blinkers in his next start.
"He's going to need blinkers after the way he went last time [sixth at Ascot Park, November 22]," Tony Dennis said.
"He was there to go through the gap and he just wouldn't go into it.
"He gawks around all the time, he's just not putting it in."